Chuck vs the SkyHunt3r
by sudhanva08
Summary: What if chuck was not who we thought he was at the beginning of the pilot? What if there was more to chuck than what appeared? A/U fic, picks up from pilot, in which chuck is not the depressed nerd herder. This summary sucks. Look inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

 **A/N :** _This is another A/U fic. This is a fairly small one. Will end sooner. I have some of it written already. I know I am bad at updating my already published stories. Sorry. I swear I am working on them too. I am just a little better at starting newer ones. Not kidding, I have more than ten different stories outlines written. I will update as soon as I can.  
So, this story is one of those cannon re-imagined ones, where the pilot is a little different, because some of the events didn't take place like in cannon. Or some events other than cannon took place. Anyways you get the point. Enjoy._

 _Oh disclaimer, yeah I don't own chuck. Uh-uh. No._

* * *

 _BuyMore Burbank, CA_

Sarah walker walked into the BuyMore and scanned it once, there were the typical people who were looking around, not really interested in buying anything.  
There were the sales staff looking to get them to buy something.  
Then there was the nerd herd desk. And talking on the phone was her mark Charles Bartowski.

He was cuter than his picture on the file showed. He had brown curls, tamer than in the picture, and brown eyes, that had looked innocent and deep even in the picture, looked even more so as she walked towards him.  
He was unaware of her though another sales employee who was about five feet tall had already spotted her, and was trying to make his friend aware.  
He looked up and smiled at her, and thought she had seen the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. He looked cute, and perhaps the CIA was wrong about him. Whatever building was blown up near DC had nothing to do with one Charles Bartowski living in Burbank, California and working as a nerd herd supervisor in the buy more.

"How can I help you.." he says as he looks up into deep blue eyes and a very pretty face.  
"Sarah" she replies.  
"Sarah. Nice name" he says and smiles  
She smiles back and says "I am here about this" producing from her back another phone that wasn't working.  
"Ah. Yes, the Intellicell. This is actually a very quick fix. There is a screw here in the back that tends to work loose. Just a couple of quick turns and this should be good as new"  
"Wow. You geeks are good"  
"Nerds actually" Morgan interjected.  
"Yes, I can see the nerd herd" she replies, while smiling.  
Chuck just smiled at her.  
"So, what do I owe for the repair" she asks.  
"Well, this was just a quick fix, so, this time it's on the house" chuck replies.  
"Really?" she asks.  
"Yeah really"

Just then, another customer walked up to the nerd herd with his daughter in tow. He said "Excuse me, I have an emergency. I don't know what I did wrong. I shot the entire recital, but now it won't play back"  
"Of course, let me take a quick look" says chuck accepting the camcorder.  
"There's no tape in here" chuck says when he finds it empty.  
"But.. it's digital"  
"Right, but you still need digital tape"  
"Oh my god, her mother will kill me" the father says frantic.  
"Morgan, can I have the wall? And splice the A/V and set the audio from the recital please?"  
"Sure chuck. It's yours" morgan replies and walks off towards the wall.

He turns to sarah and says "I'm so sorry. Please excuse me" and walks away from the nerd herd desk, and the beautiful woman there, towards the wall of TV's as well.

He sets it up with morgan and leaning down on his knee in front of the girl and asks "What's your name?"  
"Bethany" she replies.  
"Okay, Bethany. Now Morgan and I have set up your music, all you have to do is dance, so your dad can capture it in the camera"  
"But I'm usually at the back"  
"Why is that sweetie"  
"Because my teacher says I'm too tall"  
"You want to know a secret? Real ballerinas are tall" he tells her and sends her to the spot in front of the TV's.

And then he starts the audio and watches as Bethany dances and it was captured in video.  
After the father thanks him profusely and leaves he turns to head back towards the nerd herd desk when harry tang steps in his way "Do you know how much time you wasted? Do you know what fifteen minutes means in buy more dollars?" he asks  
"Harry, I didn't realise we had our own currency. But what I did made that customer a permanent one in case he wants to buy or get something else repaired. And as for others, no one was looking at those HDTV's before but those two people are now. So yes, harry I know what fifteen minutes means in buy more dollars. Go make that sale"  
Properly chastised harry scurried off to make the sale of the HDTV, and chuck turned back towards the nerd herd desk.

Sarah wasn't there however and he felt his spirits dip a little until morgan called "Dude, she left you her card man" and then said "Yes" while smiling wide.  
Chuck just shook his head at morgan's antics and went to the desk.

* * *

When chuck got home he realised something was amiss and took a long look around. Noticing nothing immediately out of place, he checked the rest of his place. Nothing. he went to his computer and checked logs. Yes, someone had been at this computer, and had checked for something. He pulled up the security cam footage from the front door and saw a completely black clad figure break in to his apartment and go in.  
He sighed.

He went to the bathroom and went to shower, and change. After doing so, he came back out and towelled off. He contemplated not calling, but he had to somehow get more information, at least that's what he told himself as he dialled sarah's number.  
She picked up after three and a half rings, not too soon, not too late either.

"Hello" she said, her voice nice to hear even through the mic.  
"Hey sarah. It's chuck, from the nerd herd"  
"Hey chuck" she said a little more cheerfully.  
"Uh.. I was wondering, if you were maybe free tomorrow night?"  
"Sure"  
"I was thinking we could have dinner tomorrow. That is if you're interested"  
"Hmm.. How about seven thirty?"  
"It's a date. If you give me your address I'll come pick you up?"  
"Sure chuck. It's room 832 at the Maison 23"  
"New in town huh?"  
"Uh, yeah. Just came in a couple of days ago actually"  
"Hmm, you'll like the town, even if the traffic is horrible"  
"Let's see" she chuckled.  
"Sure. So, I'll see you tomorrow sarah. Bye"  
"Bye chuck"

He seems like a nice guy, and I didn't see anything incriminating in his house either, and he talks pretty confidently for a nerd she muses.  
Oh well, I'll find out all about him at my date tomorrow.

Chuck stares at the ceiling, exhausted, and decides he will decide tomorrow, whichever way it goes.  
And so dresses up in PJ's and promptly falls asleep, looking forward to the next day.

* * *

And so the next day in buy more is with an insistent morgan insisting he tell him about sarah, if he had called, and if he had not that he call her, along with some of the worst pickup lines that made him want to run away. Pretty much every word out of his mouth that day is was about sarah.  
He finally shut him up with talk of the new game mass effect that was supposed to release in a couple months, then as soon as he could get away he said "I got to go home a little early today morgan. See you tomorrow bud" and ran out of there before he decided to follow him home.

Sarah is getting ready for the date in her room, by strapping on a soft Kevlar padding for her torso, makes up her hair, wearing a cute top and a nice pair of pants and finally tucks in her gun. She also calls in to update the director and tells him "I've arranged a dinner date with him tonight. I'll find out if he has anything hidden. But I don't know director he seems like a nice guy, not someone involved in this world"

"Nice guys aren't sent government secrets Sarah. Do _not_ let your guard down around him" he replies.  
She sighs and asks "What should I do if he runs?"  
"Kill him" tells graham knowing he wouldn't run.

Right on time she hears two knocks and she looks through the peephole to find chuck standing there with a smile. She opens the door and he sucks in a breath and smiles at her and says "You look beautiful sarah" and he says it so genuinely that she just smiles at him.  
"You don't look too bad yourself" she tells him.  
"Thanks. Oh, these are for you" he says and hands her a bunch of flowers, which she accepts, and says "Why don't you come in?" and goes to find a water jug and puts the flowers in.

"Thank you for the flowers chuck" she says smiling.  
He smiles and says "Ready to go?"  
"Ready" she says smiling, picking up her purse.

He takes her to a nice Mexican restaurant, with cozy seats and tables and nice food.  
A band is playing in the background but isn't too loud. The table itself is separated from others and farther from the band.  
She talks with him more than she's ever talked on a dinner date with any mark.  
He's quite charming and a little funny, and a more than honest person.

"So you went to Stanford?" she asks  
"Ah, yes. I did attend Stanford"  
"Then how come you're in the nerd herd, if you don't mind me asking" she asks sweetly.  
He released a breath and smiled and said "Well my roommate planted test papers in my room, and.. got me thrown out" he says.  
"Really? Oh my god that's awful" she says immediately. Sincerely feeling bad about it. She knew from the file that that roommate was Larkin.  
"Yeah. Yeah" he says a little sadly.  
She doesn't like sad chuck so she steers the conversation towards more happy topics.

"You call him captain awesome?" she asks laughing.  
"Everything the guy does is awesome, rock climbing, diving out of an airplane, flossing" chuck replies.  
She makes a mental note to investigate captain awesome, while laughing with chuck.  
"You're pretty funny chuck" she says.  
He just smiles at her.

"So, you moved here from..?" asks chuck.  
"DC"  
"Oh, nice. So, you moved here because of your job? Or to come back to west coast?"  
"Do you often stereotype chuck?" sarah asks.  
"No.. Just with tall beautiful blondes" he says with a smile.  
She just chuckles "Cheeky"  
"No, I just wanted to get away from DC. I was in a bad relationship, and, uh, I couldn't stay there any longer and wanted a fresh start"  
"Hmm" he says sipping a little of his drink.  
"What about you? What skeletons do you have in your closet?"  
"Oh, plenty. I am a very bad guy" he says stretching very.  
"You are?" she asked completely innocently.  
"Uh-huh" he says still smiling.  
"I don't know chuck. From where I'm sitting you don't seem all that bad" sarah says.  
He laughs lightly and changes the subject again.

The server after a while comes and asks "Anything else I can get you sir? Ma'am?"  
He looks at sarah and says "Uh, no thanks. Bill please"  
He produces a bill and chuck just slips his credit card in and the server then swipes it and after the transaction is confirmed hands it back to chuck.

"Common, let's get out of here" says Chuck.  
She gets up taking his offered arm and looping it through his walk out of there.

"So, what kind of music do you like?" asks chuck.  
"Uh, I don't know most kinds?" she says.  
"Hmm.. well I know a band that's playing nearby, and the place is nice. Shall we?"  
"Sure" she smiles.

The club is a nice little hole in the wall, not too many guys in, and so she finds herself enjoying the music, sitting on a barstool beside chuck.  
"Dance with me?" asks chuck with a hand outstretched.  
She just giggles and takes his hand and goes on the dance floor.

She is dancing and having fun, thinking this is the most fun she's had when the night starts its journey downhill, like it happens when anything's too good. 'Nothing can be too good, if it seems, there's something you're missing' Why is she hearing her father of all people in her head now?  
But he's not the problem, the problem are the couple hulking NSA guys headed straight for them.  
And while she notices this, she also notices that chuck noticed them too.  
He lets out a deep breath, "Want to get out of here?" he asks

She eyes him warily, but knowing there are NSA guys around, she just nods her head and taking his hand pulls him towards the back door. She is right behind him as he pushes the door open and steps outside into the alleyway and she steps out behind him only to duck the swinging arm that was not aimed at her and chuck had sidestepped. She proceeds to block the next swing when chuck trips him and elbows the back of his head to make him crash down on the ground, and sprints to the car knowing sarah is right behind him.

He jumps in the car and says "Get in"  
She gets in the seat with a hand on her gun, and asks him "Who are you?"  
He steps on it and asks "Bryce, is he dead?"

* * *

 **A/N :** _So, yeah. I've changed the cannon up a bit. And as you'll find out in the next chapter, things are a lot different.  
The time for mass effect was correct by the way, the pilot episode of chuck released in Sept, '07 and mass effect released in November, '07.  
So, this story along with the two others I'll update as regularly as I can. Promise.  
Runs and ducks behind Ellie._

Read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 **A/N:** _Second chapter. Picks up pretty much where we left off.  
Disclaimer: Don't own chuck. Making no money. No betas were harmed during the writing of this story._

* * *

 _Outside the club, CA_

 _He steps on it and asks "Bryce, is he dead?"_

She takes in a sharp breath, realising she had been played, the man who she thought was innocent was very much not so.  
She had known that looks could be deceiving. She had known that since she was very little thanks to her father. She had known that when she was at the farm. She had known that when she was in the field.

But she had been played. She had not thought it possible that this man driving in reverse now without even looking backwards, dodging other cars, could have been a bad guy. She would never have guessed that he was involved in a terrorist activity. She would never have guessed he would have been involved in blowing up a government building. But he was.

"Sarah" he says.

She looked up from her reverie, she was lost in her mind while she was next to an enemy operative. This would not do.

"What" she asked coldly.  
He whipped his head to look in her eyes, and she saw hurt and sadness in them.  
"Bryce is dead, isn't he?" he repeated, this time as a statement.

"Yes" she replied a little unnerved by the display of emotions, by his sadness, like he had lost someone dear.  
Bryce. His agent.

He let out a deep breath and asked "So what happened? Was-was he gunned down?"  
"Yeah. That tends to happen when one blows up government property" she replied.

He nodded gravely.

She had had enough, and she would be taking him in. He was involved, and he had to be stopped.  
She took her gun and aimed it at his head. "Stop the car Chuck Bartowski"

He looked at her sideways and said "You don't want to do that agent walker"  
"Why not? You had your agent blow up a government building. Give me one reason not to shoot your head off right now" she said her voice cold as ice.

"Because that's not the whole story" he replied, seemingly not bothered by the gun in his face.  
and then he swerved and drifted and the car went down a couple steps and crashed sideways into another car, on her side.  
Her gun dropped from her hands as she hit her head on the door.

She was slowly coming to, hearing voices.  
Chuck, she realised, was talking on the phone.

"..you don't understand, he executed sandwall"  
"Yes. I have Sarah walker with me. and the NSA after me"  
"That's interesting"  
"I'll update you later, looks like she's coming to" and he disconnected the call.

Sarah was then unceremoniously dragged out of the driver's side of the car and was leaned against the hood.  
He was leaned against her. Mistake. She could take him with her knife.

"So sarah" he said conversationally, when he stepped back and produced her gun from where it was tucked in behind him.

Shit, I should have made my move when he was near me. Her hand was inching towards her back.  
He let out a breath, loudly, and said "Would you stop that? I don't want to shoot you, but I don't want to die from having your knife stuck in my neck either, so I will shoot if try to punch holes in me. Okay? Stop. I just want to talk"

"Doesn't matter. I won't be telling you anything" she replied.  
His phone beeped and he surreptitiously looked down and saw the screen.  
"Well, I hope the NSA will be more talkative then" and he chucked at his own joke.

A black subarban slowed down and Casey got out with his gun pointed at bartowski.  
"Drop the gun bartowski" he said as he climbed out.

"Nice to see you too major casey. How's the leg?"

He lifted his right leg and turned it around once.  
Chuck laughed "Good, now lower your gun please"  
"Why?" he asked  
"Why? You do see I have my gun trained at one of your colleague, don't you?"

He grunted "And why would I care if you shot a CIA skirt? Hell, it's a gold star in my book. You shoot her, I shoot you and I go out and have a nice snack. Pancakes maybe"

Chuck sighed and said "How'd you get here so fast casey? And why am I not surrounded by tac teams?"

"Oh, they're nearby don't worry. Not like they're necessary. And I have you to thank for me being here. You see I was assigned to a protective detail, and I got a call about getting at a terrorist. So, guess which I chose"

"Protective detail? Who's in town?"  
"What does it matter bartowski? You won't be getting to listen to him anyways"  
"Casey who is in town?" chuck asked again.  
"General Steinfield" he replied.

Sarah was almost ready to lunge at him with her knife when he let out a loud fuck.

And he pointed the gun at sarah and said "walk" and directed her towards casey's car.  
She was dumbstruck.  
"What the hell are you getting at chuck?" asked sarah.  
"Get in the car sarah" said chuck.  
"You too casey"

"No way in hell bartowski" replied casey.  
"Uhh. Casey get in the car now. It is a matter of national emergency" he said, imploring him to believe.  
"Why should I believe anything coming out of a traitor's mouth" he replied.  
"Because innocent people will die if you don't" and he handed casey his gun.

He stepped back and chuck got in the car with Sarah in the backseat, and Casey got in front, and chuck told him to drive to Steinfield.  
"No. Not until you tell me why" he said stubbornly.

"Alright look Casey, I know you won't believe me right now, but there's a bomb threat, wherever Steinfield is giving a speech. His move on eastern bloc countries with NATO wasn't looked at kindly by a lot of people, and what better way to make a statement than kill him on U.S soil. There's a known Serbian national here in LA, that the FBI flagged, entering three nights ago, and the NSA SigInt guys had intelligence of a blueprint of a part of a piece, that could be made into a bomb, enough to level a building. It was in the intelligence brief Casey. I think that's what the serbian is here for. He is going to detonate a bomb wherever the speech is going on"

"What's the generals itinerary? What's he supposed to be doing now?" asked chuck.  
Casey looked at his watch and said "He should be on stage now" he looked hard at bartowski and said "Bartowski, I swear if this is a ploy.."

"It's not Casey. A lot of innocent lives maybe at stake. Step on it"

He turned around and sped towards the building where the general was giving a speech. And as they reached, they jumped out and barrelled in, Casey signalled to let them all through, and they came in to the room where there were a lot of people, some dignitaries seated around tables, and the rest security and walking around freely were the people pushing the carts.

"I.. look for a serbian walking around pushing a cart" Said chuck as he was looking around.

Sarah gave a customary look around when she entered and she saw a server looking a bit out of place and a little nervous. She walked up to him as she grabbed the hand of chuck and pulled him with her.

The server started backing away a little when they made their way to him and was sweating.  
"Open it" commanded casey.  
"o-open it? it-it not yet time"  
"Open. It" casey repeated.

The general had stopped speaking and it was deathly quiet now.  
The server just started running away and casey cried "Stop him"  
Three agents went after him and one tackled him to the ground.

Chuck was however interested in the cart.  
He slowly bent near it and lifted the cloth. It contained C4 neatly daisy-chained. And connected to a detonator.

"Casey. Evacuate Everyone. NOW!"

He signalled on of his agents and told him to get everyone out, set a perimeter, and call in bomb squad.

He radioed in and everyone got busy. The general was whisked off stage and everyone was in the process of getting outside.  
Chuck said "You don't happen to have an EOD kit in your trunk, do you?" to casey.  
"No. The bomb disposal team is on the way though" he replied.

Chuck had now carefully taken the top off and the poles and the cloth. And was examining the bomb.

"Not enough time casey" he said as he slid a panel off and revealed the timer counting down three minutes and a few seconds.  
"Fuck" said casey. That's not enough time to evacuate everyone was left unsaid.

"Sarah knife" chuck said with his hand outstretched.  
She immediately gave him the knife even though it left her without any sort of weapon.  
He slowly jammed it in and pushed the panel through.

"Okay. Now you two come here" chuck said after stripping a wire and cutting off two more.

They compiled. "Sarah, You, have to lift this block out making sure it doesn't come in contact with the walls. Casey you have to pull out these wires, and I will lift the detonator pin at the same time"

"This _has_ to happen at the same time. Or.. the bomb does what it's designed to do" chuck said.

"Okay Bartowski. Understood" said casey.  
"Ready" said sarah.  
"Jesus Bartowski. There's less than a minute left. Do it already" said casey.

"Here goes nothing. three.. two.. one.. pull"

The bomb beeped twice and the screen went blank. At twenty-seven seconds.

All three were quiet for five seconds.  
Sarah asked "Did it work?"  
"No way to tell. Next ten seconds we go boom or we have disarmed the bomb" Chuck said.  
"Just so you know, I enjoyed our date tonight. So if we die.. I uh, just wanted you to know that"  
Sarah didn't say anything back but just looked at his face. His dark chocolate eyes, were stirring with depths she hadn't caught before.

Casey breathed a sigh of relief as nothing happened, And the moment passed, they got up.  
Another guy walked up to them in a suit as they got up and said that the bomb disposal team was here.

Casey nodded his head and they came in. Chuck explained what he knew about the bomb to the captain and he nodded his head and set about working to take it apart.

Then the same agent said "The general has been appeased of the situation and has requested your presence"

Casey nodded and dragged both bartowski and walker outside to the car.

* * *

Casey drove them to a nearby hotel, which was outside of the blast radius, where the general was staying.  
They walked in and rode up the elevator and got off at the correct floor. A couple of agents were standing outside of the doors of his suite, they nodded their head as the three came, opened the door, one agent walked in ahead and announced their arrival to the general and walked out when the general nodded his head.

"First and foremost, I want to personally thank you for your service today. You saved my life along with a lot of others"  
"Thank you general" said all three.  
"Major Casey I have the pleasure of having met already. Who are you two?"  
"Agent O'connel, sir" replied sarah.  
"And you?"  
"Agent Bradford, sir" replied chuck.

Even though the other two were surprised, they did nothing to indicate it.

"I am in your debt" the general said.  
"Just doing our duty sir" the three chorused.

He nodded his head, and asked who it was that had planned to detonate the bomb, when major casey replied "We're not yet sure general, but we will keep you updated as our investigation proceeds"

"Make sure to major. I have been fed this line in the past, and I'm still waiting to hear" and the general stared at casey.  
Casey didn't flinch, but said "We will try our best to wrap up the case best we can, and then we will disclose pertinent information through proper channels general, and that is the best I can promise"

The general relented "Alright, that is the best I can get I guess. How big was the bomb major?"  
"Enough to do major structural damage to the building, and the debris would have damaged any nearby structures"

He was shocked, and then nodded "Agents, I thank you, once again for thwarting what would have been a major catastrophe. I will make sure to express my gratitude where I can"

Sarah spoke up this time "Thank you general, but we would rather you not express gratitude, we are undercover agents, and as such, it would be beneficial for us to not have a face"  
"Of course. As you wish agents. So, none of your names are real?"  
Sarah, Casey and Chuck shook their heads no.

They then thanked the general and walked out of there.

Once they were alone, in the elevator casey said "Damn. Well, quick thinking bartowski"  
He nodded his head, and then said "Well, you still want to take me in" he said it as a statement, that he knew it to be. While saying this he had also surreptitiously passed the knife he had back to sarah.

She was surprised by his actions. Why would he give me the knife? I have to take him in too.  
"The CIA gets him casey" Sarah said.

"No way in hell blondie. The NSA gets to take him in" Casey replied  
"And do what major?" interjected chuck.

Casey smiled a bored smile "Well you get to enjoy your vacation in a deep dark hole somewhere until you puke out all your dirty little secrets"  
"No way in hell major. The CIA got the intelligence first, we get him first" said sarah.  
"And how are you going to do that walker?" challenged Casey.

She held Chuck in a choke hold and had a knife pressed to his kidney "If we don't get him, nobody does"

Casey had drawn his firearm but walker was fast. And seeing the knife put a little more pressure he said "Think about it a little more walker, you don't want to kill him. You want to know how he knows all that stuff, and how he was running that larkin kid. You get nothing if you kill him"

"How- How about we contact your superiors and they decide what happens" chuck said.

"Alright, that's fine by me casey, what about you?" Sarah asked.  
He grunted "Fine. We can call in securely. I have a laptop in the car"  
"Alright" said sarah.

And so, they made their way, walker still had a knife pressed to his body as they walked through the lobby, but had it cleverly concealed by her hand and body so nicely that nobody noticed.

Of course, casey had a gun, but sarah made him walk to her right and a little forward at enough distance that he couldn't pull chuck out of the way, and they got to the car and she made him climb in first and pushed chuck in second, so that casey and sarah were sitting on either side of chuck in the backseat.

So, with the laptop on chuck's lap, he connected to the secure conference server, and opened a line to General Beckman, where she was in a building near the DNI building, and Casey had confirmed that Director Graham was also there, by calling her up.

And so it was that chuck was sitting in between when the videocall connected, showing graham and beckman.  
Graham was standing behind the chair in which beckman was seated.

Casey immediately said "General beckman"  
And sarah gave her brief greeting "Director"

Chuck looked at both and started before either got the chance "General beckman. I am charles bartowski. Please don't think I'm ignoring you director graham, but I didn't think any introductions were necessary between us"  
Graham narrowed his eyes but didn't show any other reaction.

"You know what happened graham, why send your agent after me?" chuck asked.  
"Quite the contrary Mr. Bartowski, I don't know what happened" he replied.  
"Sandwall happened director. And I'd appreciate it if you stopped acting like a dumb joe-shmow"

Sarah and Casey were staring with open mouths and the general was confused and enraged.  
The damn CIA and its director were always keeping things from her.

"Sandwall was never approved bartowski. I never gave the go order, so your friend Mr. Larkin acted on his own, or you put him up to it, because we know of a trace signal that went out to you right before he died"

"I didn't know he was going to go ahead with Sandwall, he was supposed to be in the group to gain intelligence of how much they knew about it. As he said in his last communique, they apparently knew quite a lot, and we had him indicate to you, repeatedly, that they were planning to steal it, and asked you to take it down. Had you done so, he might have been alive right now, so stop with the shifting blame, because it resides on you"  
"It was not that simple bartowski" graham replied.

"Well, he did the only thing he could, he stole it and destroyed it before they could and he died sending it to me" chuck replied.  
"Before you ask where it is, it is secure. I can access it, and I am willing to help you.  
Given you meet _my_ conditions. First, it will be a small team consisting of major casey, agent walker and me. Second, you will provide us with whatever we request, given it is pertinent. Third, and this is most important, I will not be anybody's asset. I will be a free agent, working with you" chuck said in a final tone.

Graham looked thoughtful and said "You will be accepted as a CIA agent for the duration of your op, because hiding the paperwork of bringing an outside contractor, or ignoring background checks will be more of a pain in the ass. That and you will still receive missions from us"

General beckman had had enough "I will not have you cutting me out and keeping important intelligence from me director"

"You are not being cut out General Beckman. You are still very much a part of this operation, and Major casey will be stationed there. You agree to the other terms, yes?"

She looked like she was going to fight it but said "You will explain all other details to me director"  
He looked stoic but said "But of course, general" and everybody knew he was going to keep even more secrets.

"I will accept those conditions if both Agents walker and Casey accept them" said the general.  
"What exactly is happening here?" asked Casey  
"Who exactly is chuck?" asked Sarah at the same time.  
"What the hell is sandwall?" asked casey.  
"What was in the building that blew up?" asked sarah.

Graham looked stonily at chuck who looked stonily back at the director.  
Graham finally said "Read both casey and walker in on the project and operation codenamed sandwall. And known information on the group. General we have to talk"

She looked this time at the screen at chuck like she was looking at him in new light and said "We will speak again later"  
And the call disconnected.

Both turned to chuck.  
"Who are you?" they said at the same time.

He took a deep breath "oh boy"

* * *

 **A/N :** _So, who is chuck?  
Damn, you all have to wait till the next chapter to find out._

Read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

 **A/N :** _So, welcome to the third chapter! Quite a bit happens in this chapter, although there's not much action in this one. Don't worry, there's plenty of it planned. Again, picks up pretty much where we left off last. Enjoy!  
Disclaimer : Don't own chuck. Not making money. No betas were harmed while this was written._

* * *

"I already lost your mother to the CIA, I won't lose my son too"  
"What do you mean.. you lost mom to the CIA?" asks chuck  
He doesn't answer immediately, he just stubbornly repeats "You will have no part in that life charles"  
"What do you mean you _lost_ _mom_ to the CIA, _dad?_ " he iterates again slowly and stressing each word.  
It was then that stephen told him the story, of frost.  
"Your.. mother, Mary Elizabeth Bartowski, was better known by her alias frost in the CIA. One day when you were, when you were about nine, and your sister was about thirteen, she had to go on a mission, to-to rescue a friend. She would be gone for about six months. In the start all was going according to plan, it was all going the way it was supposed to go. Then, her field contact there, he-he betrayed everyone, and, and It all went to hell. It.. all the careful little plans, all crafted painstakingly well and all it took, was one man to make it all fall apart. She was stuck between what was right and, and what was waiting for her back home; she was stuck fighting a losing battle and dying.  
So, she made a choice and ever since that day she has been stuck there, without any way of getting out, of-of coming home" by the time he finished, he was looking down, and tears had welled in his eyes, and he was breathing hard.

Chuck was struck numb by the revelation of his mom being a CIA agent. That she didn't stay away, but that she has been stuck, not been able to come home. He inhaled and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and realised some tears had escaped and his cheeks were wet.  
He rubbed his face on his shirt and tried to speak, he was unsuccessful for a few moments then he could get out "Why hasn't the CIA tried to get her back home?"  
Stephen looked up with frustration and said "Because that's what the CIA does! They-they burn assets when it suits them, they terminate people when it furthers their own interests and, and, they leave people behind when it suits them"  
Chuck's anger then returned full force and he yelled at his father again "I could have pursued mom had I been an agent, dad. You had no right to decide for me"

"You weren't there when I was a kid, when Ellie was struggling to get us through the week, day by day"  
"You weren't there when she and I graduated school, you weren't there when we needed you"  
"You do not suddenly get to make my decisions for me now" he says his voice breaking.

"The CIA does nothing but take people and strip them of their humanity charles. You will find nothing but sadness and death in that life. And I don't want my son any part of it" he says stubbornly.

Chuck just stared at his father and said "Our life has already been sad. Two children shouldn't have to worry about being carted away by child services. Two children shouldn't have to worry about managing expenses and dealing with taxes, and loans - stuff that their parents should have been there to deal with. Two children shouldn't have to feel sad and cry in the bathroom the night after they receive their diploma because their parents weren't there to witness it. Two children shouldn't have to live with the fact that their parents left them, not knowing whether or not they were even alive"  
"So, dad do not talk to me about sadness, I have a lot of experience dealing with it"

He storms out of there, as tears fall freely from his face, and he just rushes out of the place that was feeling constricting. He could no longer see clearly and he stumbled through the park and fell down on the ground, crying profusely, but without a single sound escaping his throat.

Casey slammed his glass back on the table, with audible noise that brought chuck out of his reverie.  
"Alright, you brought us here. Now start talking" said casey.  
They were sitting in chuck's apartment, a glass of scotch in each of their hands sitting on the couch in the living room, listening to chuck explain the intersect project.  
To sarah and casey it was all something plucked out of a sci-fi movie that they hadn't believed was something made into reality.  
But reality it was, for if not they wouldn't be here, sitting on this couch, scotch all but forgotten, until he finished speaking.  
"So", said casey "To summarize, there is a computer that houses all the intelligence, ever gathered by both the CIA and the NSA in one place, that was built to process it and corelate data to find patterns, then the scientist building it destroyed it and went underground, and it took us fifteen years to rebuild it?"

"In a nutshell, yes. That was the intersect computer" said chuck.  
Then after draining his glass, chuck started speaking again this time about operation sandwall. "Because it was designed so, housing all intelligence in one place, it was a single point of failure. So, in case there was ever a security breach, or if there was a threat of the data being stolen, operation sandwall was to be executed. The data would be offloaded to a secured storage, and the whole of the computer room would then be blown, by the charges set beneath the array. It would ensure the data would never fall into the wrong hands" finished chuck.  
He poured himself another few fingers from the glass bottle and poured some in casey's glass too. He stoppered it then and lifted his glass back to his mouth and said "That's what Bryce executed a couple nights ago. I was unaware.. of his movements. He was inserted into a group of radicals and rogue spies that call themselves fulcrum. They believe that the current government is taking the country down and that they alone can being the country back to its former glory, that they can tip the balance of power, and rule everyone else"

"They, we had come to know, were after the intersect data. We notified graham of it, but he wouldn't move ahead with sandwall. Maybe fearing that they would come for that data Bryce went ahead and destroyed it. Maybe he knew something, or something happened, for him to go through with it. I don't know why he did what he did, and now, we'll never find out" he lifted his glass again and said "May you find peace, my friend, wherever you are" and downed it.

Casey and sarah joined in and drank their glasses.

It was all a little fairy tale. Yet there was some sense of tiredness and the way his jaw was set when talking about the intersect. There was sadness in his eyes as he talked about sandwall, and finally a little frustration and anger while talking about fulcrum.

Finally, as his briefing drew to a close sarah asked "So what will we be doing?"

Chuck took another sip of his drink as he replied "The three of us will work to bring down the rogue faction. We will also take missions that the director and general send our way"  
Casey nodded his head. This was already starting to sound like a good mission.

"You still haven't answered who you are chuck. How do you know all this?" sarah asked.

He let out a breath. He pulled the stopper out and poured more of the amber liquid into his now empty glass, as if he needed alcohol in his system to get the words out. He drank a generous amount and gulped audibly and then started "There was another part to the intersect project, other than getting all the data in one place, it was to load the data into a human brain. The data was encoded into subliminal images, which were then shown to the subject in order to 'upload' the data into the subject's brain"  
"That data could then, in theory, be accessed and recalled when needed. It would be complete and pertinent data, and the subject could recall it with complete accuracy. It would eliminate having to brief agents and make mission critical data available to them in a quick and secure manner. The agents themselves would be able to make decisions based on available data, and thus operate better"

"After bryce sent me that data.. I saw it. I saw it, and now I have all that information in my head" he finished and kept his glass down.

"I- what?" said casey. This was it. Moron was suffering from alcohol poisoning. And his brain was damaged.  
"Uploading data into a person's brain? Seems too far-fetched chuck. Even for a TV show" said sarah.

"You were involved in the project omaha, sarah. This was the end result. Loading all intelligence to be accessed into a brain. Of course, not all information, just mission pertinent one"

"You were in the project?" asked casey.  
"It was just a test, of improving memory retention" said sarah.  
"That was a test to see who could hold the data and still be able to function" corrected chuck.  
"It was shut down, it never got past the testing" said sarah.

"Hmm, true, but the intersect was still being worked on. And that was what was in the building, and fulcrum were after it. So bryce blew it up and sent it to me"

"So, if that's true, you know all that the CIA and NSA know?" asked sarah, not betraying her emotions behind the question  
He laughed a bit then said "No, I know quite a bit, and that includes a lot of intelligence gathered by both the agencies, but I don't presume to know all that they know. Their own inherent ability to distrust the other, and hence not share intelligence has seen to it. Plus, by design, the data I have uploaded is always going to be old. Not that that's not beneficial, it's just something to keep in mind"

Sarah wasn't completely mollified by his answer, and she still didn't know if he knew about her. But asking more would mean he would figure out what she was afraid to ask outright, so she let it drop for now. "How does it work though? You just suddenly know all the intelligence when you upload?"

"Oh no. No, I don't know everything, it's just in my head, dormant if you will, until there is need. When I get triggered by an external stimulus, I get pertinent data on the subject, based on the trigger" replied chuck  
"What kind of trigger?" asked casey.  
"Anything from a face, to a ring; anything that's been catalogued. When I see something, if it is in the database, I get the information in a flash" and he chuckled.

"Why work bryce?" asked sarah suddenly.  
"Because I knew him and trusted him, we were college roommates back in Stanford, as I'm sure you already know" replied chuck.  
"But didn't he also get you kicked off college? After reporting you for cheating no less" sarah replied.  
"Ha" chuck scoffed and said "Well that is not true. He did get me kicked out, but it was through planted answer sheets. I never cheated, I had no reason to" chuck replied.

"So? He betrays you and kicks you out by planting test papers and you recruit him? That doesn't make sense bartowski" said casey.

"That's because you forget the _why_ casey. He kicked me out because, I was on the recruitment track for the CIA. He didn't want me in this life. He thought I wouldn't survive, and so kicked me out, to protect me. When I learned of it, I met with him and he agreed to work with me"

"So, he felt guilty, and felt like he owed you and you recruited him. I don't know what he thought about you not surviving this life bartowski" Casey replied.

"In the elevator, you gave me the knife so casey and I would have a standoff as to who gets you and then run with what you suggested. I have to agree; I don't know what he thought when he kicked you out" said sarah.

He smiled self-deprecatingly and said "Just because I'm good doesn't mean I enjoy doing it. All the lying, all the double crossing, not knowing who might put a bullet in you at the end of the day. It's not as it's glorified to be"

Casey just grunted "That is true. But someone has to do this, so others can enjoy their life"  
Chuck chose not to comment on it. Instead he said,

"So, agent walker, morgan already knows you were interested in dating me. We can continue with the cover for now. Of course we can come up with something different too, if you are not comfortable.. I didn't mean it like that. You know what, I'm going to shut up. You can discuss it with your bosses and figure it out" chuck said shutting his mouth.

He finished the rest of his drink and said "Sarah you can sleep in the bedroom over there. And major casey?" he left the question unanswered.

"I have my sleeping arrangements at my hotel" he replied.  
"Alright casey. Good night. Drop by in the morning. A little later if you can" chuck said.

He just grumbled a "night" and left.

Chuck stood up and showed sarah to a bedroom.  
She was just sitting on the bed when chuck came back in holding a pair of boy shorts and a loose t-shirt. He plopped down on the bed beside her and placed the clothes in between them "ah.. if you erm, need these"

Sarah just smiled at his antics and said "Thank you chuck"  
He raised a hand indicating the direction "The bathroom is over there. And I will be next door if you need anything else"

She just nodded her head, and so he got up and went to the door. He was out when she said "Chuck?"

He poked his head back in and she smiled and said "Good night, chuck"  
"Good night, Sarah" he said smiling and his head disappeared out of view again.

* * *

 **A/N :** _You guys are awesome! So awesome that you'll leave a review for me as you head out.  
So, as I said before, not much action in this chapter, but I had to set the stage in order for me to build on it._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

 **A/N :** _Because you guys are awesome, and because I couldn't just stop typing, here's a little bonus. A small mini chapter.  
_

 _Disclaimer : I do not own chuck. Not making any money from this._

* * *

Sarah walker woke up after a good night's sleep when she heard metal sounds coming from the hallway.  
She was in the loose t-shirt that chuck had given her, it smelled fresh and also lightly of the same cologne that he wore, and she breathed it in.

She rolled over and contemplated sleeping a bit more, but she went ahead and got up, and after rinsing her face in the bathroom she started in the direction of the sounds.

As she walked towards the hallway she smelled something good and she stretched as she came into the kitchen.  
"What smells so good?" she asked as he looked up at her as she finished her stretching.  
"Uh.. Breakfast. Scrambled eggs okay for you?"

"Sure chuck" she said as she walked to the island table and sat down on a stool.  
"So, you want coffee or OJ?" chuck asked.  
"OJ?" sarah asked, with a smile.  
"Orange Juice"  
"Uh. Coffee"

He poured it into a mug and set it infront of her with a smile and turned back to poke at eggs.  
He put them in a plate and set that down infront of her too.  
She lifted her fork and started eating.  
It was companionable silence.

He finished with his coffee quickly and said "I'm gonna hop in the shower real quick"

She ate in silence after he had disappeared, and then carried over her coffee mug to the couch and turned on the TV to a local news channel.

There was a knock on the door, and she got up from the couch and picking up a knife from the kitchen made her way slowly to the door.  
She peeked carefully and the woman standing on the other side was revealed to be a pretty brunette in hospital blue clothes with an overflowing paper bag clutched to her chest.  
Ellie. Chuck's sister.

She knocked again impatiently and sarah contemplated running to the bathroom to fetch chuck, but then decided to simply let her in.  
Running back to replace the knife, she opened the door and the other woman just came in without looking at sarah.

She said "What took you so long… " she had finally noticed the beautiful blonde who was wearing one of chuck's t-shirts and had long legs that seemingly didn't have any end, she had intelligent deep blue eyes that captivated you, and despite having woken up she looked super pretty and was now closing the door.

"Oh my god, I..I'm so sorry. I didn't realise chuck had company, I just, I-I came to leave these" she said with wide eyes.  
Sarah smiled with some amusement in her eyes and said "Can I help you with that?" and came forward to accept the bag.  
She went ahead to the island counter and deposited it and turning around said "I'm sarah"

"Hi sarah. I'm ellie. Uh, Chuck's sister"  
Smiling, sarah said "I know, chuck talked a lot about you last night"

Chuck walked in saying "Hey sarah, I heard knocking, is the big.. sister here? Hey.. ellie" he said looking back and forth between the two women sitting on the couch with coffee mugs in their hands, smiling at chuck.  
 _Oh, boy._

* * *

 **A/N :** _Chuck better run for it!  
Drop me a review as you head out, please._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Chuck vs the SkyHunt3r**

* * *

 **A/N:** _Welcome to the next chapter. Picks up right where we left off last and continues from there.  
This is a little more character focused, but from the next chapter we jump straight into a mission.  
Enjoy._

Oh and keep an eye out for flashbacks. Or memories the character recalls, we have some of those in this chapter.  
There are hints in the context as to the beginning and ending of those but forewarning seemed better.

Disclaimer: _I don't own chuck. Not making any money from this._

* * *

Chuck groaned and shut his eyes. He still felt his cheeks redden, thinking about the mornings events.  
He groaned again and let his face fall in his hands.  
"Paying for your sins from last night bartowski?" asked tang coming to stop in front of the nerd herd desk.  
"What?" said chuck unintelligibly.

"Leave my boy alone tang. Don't you have to go plot on how to take away our freedom?" interjected morgan.  
"Oh, I don't have to plot grimes. I _already_ have a plan" replied tang.  
"So, you have a plan _without_ plotting?"  
"Yes grimes. I can have a plan without needing to plot"

"But then, your plan wouldn't include plotting and you need to plot to make your plan work.  
If all you did was planning and no plotting, your plan has to include plotting, otherwise your plan would just be a plan and not a plot" finished morgan  
with an air of superiority.

"Right chuck?" said morgan and they both turned to find chuck gone, and jeff in his spot eating from a bag of cheesy snacks.  
They turned back to face each other and said "I'm going to sell a TV"  
"There's a customer who's looking for me"

After about fifteen minutes of avoiding tang and lester, morgan came across chuck, sitting in the cage, quietly tinkering with some old computers.  
"What's up my man? What's got you down? You know what would cheer you up?" asked morgan  
with his face pressed against the cage wall and his hands holding the cage.

Chuck kept quiet but discovered that morgan was waiting for his response and wouldn't go away so with a sigh he asked "What would morgan?"  
"You pick up your phone _and_ call that vicki vale. I mean why wouldn't you call her man"  
"I wouldn't because I'm dying from embarrassment and mortification" muttered chuck as he was reminded once again of this morning.

"Hey.. ellie" chuck said, a little shocked to find her sitting with sarah walker, drinking coffee, and  
Oh God! _Eliie_ was sitting with _Sarah walker_ drinking coffee! What awful things would ellie have told sarah.  
NO!

"What.. uh, what are you doing here?" said chuck  
"What? So I can't come see my brother when I feel like it?" rebutted ellie with a glare.  
"Of course you can El, you _practically_ live next door. I was just asking what you were doing here this early in the morning" replied chuck.

"Just having some coffee with sarah" said ellie in a cheerful voice.  
"Uh-huh. I can see that. You've already.. become buddies" said chuck.  
"Buddies chuck?" interjected sarah in a _seriously?_ tone of voice and chuck winced in response.  
Ellie shaking her head at him said "You know his vocabulary is sorely limited by the books he reads. That is the _comic books_ he reads"

Chuck facepalmed inwardly but chuckled and said "Uh-huh, so _you_ still haven't said what you're doing here this early ellie. You uh, you have a morning shift?"  
"I do. But _morgan_ came by last night to find you, and said you were definitely down with something,  
because you wouldn't call some vicki vale and I thought I would check up on you" replied ellie.  
Chuck groaned when sarah said "Vicki vale?"

"Ellie, do you actively want me to stay single?" asked chuck.  
"Hey, she's a good girl chuck. She won't leave you for that. _That_ was because you hid her from me.  
This is so you know what happens when you hide things from me chuck" said ellie in a victorious manner.

"I don't know what she's told you but we actually went on our first date last night" said chuck.  
"You.. first date last night? Haven't been dating for some time now?" asked ellie surprised.  
Chuck and sarah shook their heads no  
"I thought you were hiding her, that because of her you wouldn't call that vicki vale"

Chuck buried his face in his hands as he said, "She _is_ vicki vale ellie"  
"What? But vicki vale is a freaking brunette for gods' sake"

"I-I am sooo sorry" said ellie making a somebody kicked my puppy sorry face.  
"It's alright el" replied chuck guardedly. He had known her long enough not to fall into that trap.

"No ellie. No need to apologize. I really enjoyed talking to you" said sarah.  
"You did?" said ellie as she looked up with a hint of hope in her eyes.  
"Uh-huh. Totally" said sarah.  
"Okay then, you're coming over friday night. Dinner at my house. _No_ excuses" All the traces of sorry was wiped from her face  
in an instant and now a grin was in its place.

"Ellie. We've only been on one date last night" protested chuck.  
"Yes, but she stayed over" ellie pointed out.  
"To sleep. In separate rooms" said an exasperated chuck.  
"Hey I'm just three years older than you. If you want you can think of it like a double date" ellie said.  
"It'll still be a double date with my sister and her boyfriend" chuck replied.  
"Yes! So cheer up. Besides sarah wants to come. Don't you sarah?" asked ellie again in a very innocent voice.

"We'll be there" replied sarah.  
"See? I told you she's a good one chuck" ellie said grinning.  
"Alright then. _I_ have to go to work. Sarah, it was _sooo_ nice meeting you" said ellie while pulling the other woman into a tight hug.

And to top it off, as ellie walked out the door, she gave chuck a thumbs up which she thought sarah couldn't see,  
except she could, and chuck knew she did see it.

After he shut the door, chuck groaned and said "Sorry, I, uh, didn't know she would be dropping by"  
Smiling sarah says "That's alright. Ellie is.. a cheerful person"  
Chuck smiles and says "You should hear her squeal, or maybe not if you want to protect your ears"

She smiles and notes "You two are close"  
And he smiled and said "Not as much as I would like. She doesn't know anything about the other life.  
She would not understand and would worry too much if she knew"  
Sarah just nodded her head.

"So.. uh, what did you two talk about?" chuck tried to ask as nonchalantly as he could.  
Sarah caught it though, and she got a mischievous glint in her eyes and said in a seductive tone "Worried I would get her to tell your _deepest_ darkest _secrets_ _agent_ bartowski?"  
Chuck swallowed and said "Ha no.. Just uh, embarrassing childhood memories" replied chuck  
She smiled a genuine smile without any hint of falsity behind it and said "Don't worry. You're secrets safe with me"  
Chuck was lost looking at her smile and her beautiful blue eyes that he could dive into and never surface.

"What did you say buddy? You kind of spaced out for a second there" asked morgan.  
Chuck groaned again and said "Nothing morgan. It's just not good to call her right away, it will look like I'm desperate"  
"But who cares about that chuck? You are desperate" replied morgan.

Chuck just managed to give him a flat look, which morgan took to understand 'really?'  
" _Of course_ you're desperate man, it's not like you've been swimming in ladies since your last break up with the one-who-won't-be-named"  
"Okay. Thanks for helping me with my self-esteem morgan. But I'm fine" said chuck.  
"Just remember man. She left her _card_ for you" morgan said as a parting shot.

Chuck was bored the rest of the afternoon, he didn't even bother going out to lunch and just stayed in the buy more all day.  
He ran out as soon as his shift ended in the evening. He picked up another nerd herder to drive back home.

Both sarah and casey should have talked with their superiors by now, and sarah had texted him to let him know that  
Casey would be dropping by in a half hour as he had said in the morning by calling sarah.

Casey had talked in the most clipped tone chuck had heard anyone speak over the phone.  
"Walker. It's casey" he had said on the call.  
"Hey casey. What's up" sarah had replied while putting the call on speaker.  
"I have to talk with the general and run another errand. How about we meet at the same place at 17"  
"Can you see about the car I abandoned last night casey?" interjected chuck.  
He just grunted and said "I'll take care of it"  
"Thanks casey. We'll be here" replied sarah.  
And he had disconnected the call without even a goodbye.

Chuck swung by and picked up some pizza for everyone on his way back home.  
He came to his door and found it unlocked, so he pushed the door in and stepped in carefully.  
He closed the door behind him without making a sound and proceeded towards the couch.  
He deposited pizza on the coffee table and sat down on the couch and without turning around said "You gonna join me? Or just keep standing there"  
She walked around the couch and plopped down beside him and asked "What gave me away?"

"The floorboard. This end of it vibrated when you stepped out from behind the wall" chuck replied smiling.  
She was looking into his eyes when casey entered throwing open the door.  
Both sarah and casey whipped their heads to look at the intruder. Chuck's hand was on the couch arm and sarah's right arm was behind her back.

He stopped to smirk at them and said "What? Already dipping your peanut butter in his choclate walker?"  
Chuck shook his head and said "Close the door and come sit casey. I got some pizza for everyone"  
He then got up and got beers from the fridge and came and sat beside sarah again.

Casey sat down in the single sofa chair and accepted the beer and a large pizza slice.

Chuck took a bite and after chasing it with some beer asked him "So casey, what did the general tell you?"  
Casey took a sip of his beer and remembered back to this morning.

Casey woke up from his sleep when his phone vibrated on the night stand. He picked it up and disconnected it from the charging cable and saw that It was the general calling.  
He picked it up and conveyed his usual greeting "General"  
"Major casey. I hope I'm not interrupting" replied the general.  
"Not at all general. I was about up to go on a jog anyways"  
"Okay major. So, what did you learn from mr. bartowski last night?"  
"Well.. he explained about the intersect project and about fulcrum"

"He did not shed any valuable intel on fulcrum except that he had his agent larkin infiltrate it"  
"And that he blew it up and sent it to bartowski. And that he saw it"  
"It does not make any sense to me general. I thought that the intersect project was just another rumor churned out of the mill"  
"It is very real major. I will have your clearance elevated to be able to access its files"  
"And what else did you notice about bartowski major?"

Casey took a deep breath before answering that one.  
"He is very resourceful and appears to know a lot of things that are highly sensitive. He is creative about his ways and confident.  
I don't know how trained he may be in combat. Other than that, I did not feel like there was anything amiss.  
You have already heard about the bomb I gather?" finished casey.

"Yes. The other NSA guys posted there updated me to the situation. A commendable job major casey.  
But why did you bring both agent walker and bartowski there?"

"Bartowski was the one who put it together about the bomb threat and later disarmed it after walker discovered the bomb"  
"So let me be clear major, you accepted the word of a suspected terrorist and made the conscious decision  
to take him and a CIA agent to the site of your detail?" the general asked in a no-nonsense voice.

"He made a compelling argument, and if you excuse me for saying so general, we did end up saving a lot of lives including  
the lives of the detail I was assigned to" casey replied.  
If there was ever one thing casey respected in people it was their willingness to do good without expecting anything in return.

"Very well major. You will receive commendations reflecting your services in stopping the bomb threat"  
"Thank you general"  
"And now about the current mission you're on" she shuffled some papers and took one out and said,  
"Strap in for the long-haul major. Test and evaluate bartowski's abilities. See if he can fight as well as he can do other things.  
Your mission objectives are simple. Aid and protect bartowski as he utilizes the intersect, in an attempt to bring down the rogue faction known as fulcrum"

"And I should repeat, Aid and protect bartowski as he utilizes the intersect. He is now the possessor of the largest pool of gathered intelligence.  
Protecting him or failing that making sure he does not fall into enemy hands is top priority major. _Nothing_ is more important than that"  
"Understood general"  
She nodded her understanding and said "Beckman out"

"Well, I explained what I had learned from what you told me last night. And then I got the current mission objectives and parameters" said casey.  
Taking a breath he continued "They are to aid and protect you as you utilize the intersect in an attempt to bring down fulcrum"

Chuck nodded thoughtfully and said "So, after you explained, did she seem frustrated or angry?"  
"It's hard to tell with her, but I'd say frustrated" replied casey.  
"Hmm.." chuck hummed scratching his stubble a little.  
"Why does it matter bartowski?" casey felt the need to ask.  
Sarah answered that question by saying "If she was frustrated, she had already heard all of it from graham.  
If she would have been angry, she was hearing something new"  
'Damn.. makes sense though' thought casey.

"So, I am correct in assuming that she then asked about the bomb and how you felt about me?"  
Casey grunted in acknowledgement.  
Chuck nodded in silence and finished the slice of pizza in his hand and picked up another one.

"And what about you sarah? What did the lovely director graham tell you?" he asked sarah.  
She snorted at the lovely and stated "Well.."

She was back in her hotel room lounging, watching tv and eating room service when her cell phone rang.  
She looked at the caller id and pressing mute she picked up the call  
"Director" she said by the way of greeting.  
"Are you free to talk?"  
"Yes. I am alone"  
She heard a deep sigh and then he said "So, what happened when you approached bartowski last night?"  
She began her explanation with him picking her up for the date and ends it with bomb being defused and them calling in.  
She doesn't anything for a few seconds and just when she is about to speak again he says "Watch yourself around him sarah,  
he doesn't look like much but is very resourceful and devious. He is almost always on top of intelligence, and I had feared he had turned.  
Which is why I sent you in the first place"

"You could have given me more pertinent information before throwing me in the deep end director" she couldn't keep the accusation out of her tone, though he didn't pick up on it.  
"He does not take innocent lives walker. He is very careful about that and tries to save everyone endangering his own life.  
 _That_ is his one true shortcoming. But, because he is smart, he is yet to fall in a trap he can't get out of" replied director completely missing the point.

Sarah was still angry but didn't let it slip into her tone when she replied "And what exactly do you want me to do, director?" she asked instead.  
"Your primary mission objective is simple. To protect bartowski as he utilizes the intersect"  
"And any secondary objectives director?"  
"I want you to get close to bartowski. Get him to trust you. He already seems a little open to you.  
 _Use_ that connection and make him more amenable to whatever we might ask of him down the road"  
As soon as she heard it she felt disgusted and she all but spat "Is that all director?"  
"Yes agent walker. That is all for now"

She doesn't tell him that exchange and instead says "Pretty much the same things as casey. Protect you, and take missions that they send our way"  
Chuck looks at her face and says "Alright"

"What's not alright is working retail bartowski" grunted casey.  
"What?" asked chuck turning to casey.  
"Working with you" casey said to the confused face of bartowski.  
"Technically sales"  
"At the buy more" casey added finally.

Chuck kept his plate down and started laughing.  
He laughed so hard that he held his stomach with his hand, because it was hurting.

"Not funny bartowski" growled casey.  
"Oh but it is casey. What about you sarah? Will you joining the nerd herd?" chuck asked as a little laughter escaped his throat.

She narrowed her eyes at him and glared but said "No. I don't think so. I don't know yet, what they'll have me do,  
but I don't need to be in the same store, I don't think"  
Chuck was still laughing a bit occasionally.

Casey left finishing his pizza and saying he would see chuck at work next morning, at which chuck laughed again.  
After he left chuck asked sarah "You staying here tonight?"  
"Yes. One of us needs to be present with you" sarah answered.  
"Alright. You want to watch a movie?" chuck said after looked at her for a few moments.  
"Sure" she replied.

As the credits of the movie rolled he was in a dilemma. He had an arm on the back of the couch and  
sarah was sitting very close to him with their legs touching and had leaned into him.  
He had been aware of it when she had moved closer to him, but now that the movie was over, and the credits were rolling he really didn't know what to do.  
He wanted to stay like that, but the movie was already over.

He just shifted and pulled his arm back which caused her to shift forward and sit.  
He nodded towards the bedroom and asked her if she needed anything.  
She looked a little amused at him as she said "My, that's _quite_ forward agent bartowski"  
Chuck blushed and backpedaled heavily as he said "I-I meant any night clothes"

She just smiled and said that she has brought some clothes and other things with her.  
He nods and says, "Well if you want anything else"  
"I'll be sure to ask" sarah said still smiling.  
He nods and says "Good night Sarah" and leaves the room going to his bedroom and closing the door behind him.

Sarah gets up as well and changes into her night clothes in her bedroom and cries herself to sleep.  
She had felt one real connection to chuck in a long time maybe for the first time and now she has to exploit that too.  
Chuck is a nice guy. He doesn't deserve this.

Chuck drops down on his own bed and goes to sleep thinking of the day's events and his own phone call with graham.

"I am the director of the goddamn CIA bartowski, don't you forget that" he roared.  
"And don't you forget who put you there. _Director_ " chuck spat back.  
"You are playing a dangerous game bartowski" he hissed quietly after a small pause.  
"Never liked any other kind" replied chuck and disconnected the call.

* * *

 **A/N :** _So, there you have it. The next chapter.  
Leave a review as you head out. Please.  
Even if it's as a guest. Or if you didn't like it. Review.  
_

And if you're particularly interested, Vicki vale who first appeared in Batman #49 (Oct, 1948) was a redhead,  
though in the comics she looks like a brunette.  
Morgan compares sarah to Kim Basinger's portrayal of Vicki Vale for the movie Batman (1989) in which Basinger was a blonde.  
If you're still interested, according to Bob Kane, vicki vale was supposed to be a blonde, but she got red hair due to coloring error.  
Made sense to stick to it, and she has been a brunette, or a redhead in most comics.  
Although she is a blonde again in the game Batman: Arkham city.  
But again a brunette in the game Batman: The Telltale Series.

The more you know.

As to the matter of how ellie knows this? Maybe young chuck had a crush on vicki vale.  
Maybe he pointed out to her picture in the comic to ellie.  
Maybe ellie remembered.

Next chapter we will see a new mission, and some action.  
See you then.


End file.
